Sporobolus bahamensis

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; slender; 15–30 cm long. Leaf-sheaths smooth. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades involute; 4–6 cm long; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 7–15 cm long; 3–4 cm wide; 0.5 of culm length. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 1 -nate. Panicle branches capillary; smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 2–6 mm long; smooth; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.3–0.4 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 0.3–0.4 mm long; 0.3–0.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean.

NOTES Eragrostideae. N Amer Fl 1994.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.